Texas Tech Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research Ribbon Cutting [Audio]

Friday on Lubbock's First News, Wesley Dotson, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research, gave details on the ribbon cutting for the new building and described services they provide.

The ribbon cutting will take place Friday, November 8 at 11:30 am at the new building on 18th street. After the ceremony the building open to the public for tours of the new facility.

Dotson stated the three missions of the Burkhart Center: training, support, and service. In addition, he said, "[we] work with families and individuals with autism.... We provide training and support to teachers... We provide training, support, and opportunities to learn to families with individuals with autism... and we also provide direct services to the community." The center works with autistic children directly, often offering to take care of the children to allow parents or caretakers time to go out. They also work with autistic adults, and will even be working to get them into and through college programs and working with them to make them job-ready.

In addition to these missions, the center conducts research to further develop ways to accomplish those goals. In relatively recent years, children have begun to be diagnosed at younger ages. Now, 1 in 89 individuals are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Listen to the full interview: